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Guy Sebastian says radio rejected new song

Guy Sebastian says he finds it hard to get his new music played on Australian radio.

His foray into a more bluesy, slightly distorted sound on his song Candle, the second single released from his EP Part 1 in September, was deemed "too heavy" by most stations.

"Initially when we tried to get that (Candle) played, everyone was saying it was too heavy," Sebastian told AAP.

"When the chorus hits, it's super distorted, the vocals are distorted, the guitar is just such a heavy wall of sound, and radio was saying 'it's too heavy'."

The singer is philosophical about it and accepts that not everything he writes will get played on radio, especially as his sound is evolving.

On this EP, Sebastian has gone down the electro-soul route, adding a high production element to his sound which has been gradually evolving from the straight-up pop classics he's been known for in the past.

It's the sort of evolution that should be celebrated in an artist, but Sebastian thinks an overseas musician is likely to be treated more fairly.

"Not everything I release is going to get played on radio. It's a lottery at times, especially in this current climate, there are so many overseas acts getting played on radio so it's very hard for an Aussie artist," he said.

"I feel like if The Weeknd released Candle, I think maybe people would go 'oh that's different but might be worth a spin because it's different' but I feel like people have grown up with me kind of doing fairly safe pop, and I've been comfortable doing safe pop, but I'm just really bored of it now."

Sebastian says he's keen to bring more depth to his music, regardless of the reaction he's received from radio. The sound he's exploring on his EP is an indication of where he's going on his upcoming record.

"I think I'm just bored, I'm bored of safe pop. And I know not everyone will come along on that journey with me because when you're used to someone doing something for a while, I don't know if you necessarily jump on board," he said.

From the end of the month, Sebastian's fans will get a taste of his new music when he previews the record at a string of live shows across the country.

"The album has got some kind of gritty soul and I've really made a point to put a few happy nostalgic tracks on there too."